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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-28-26 Study Commission Agenda and Packet MaterialsA. Call to Order with Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence - 4:00 PM, Commission Room, City Hall, 121 North Rouse B. Changes to the Agenda C. Public Comment on Anything within the Jurisdiction of the Study Commission THE STUDY COMMISSION OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA SC AGENDA Thursday, May 28, 2026 How to Participate: If you are interested in commenting in writing on items on the agenda please send an email to govreview@bozeman.net prior to 12:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. At the direction of the Study Commission, anonymous public comments are not distributed to the Study Commission. Public comments will also be accepted in-person and through video conference during the appropriate agenda items but you may only comment once per item. As always, the meeting will be recorded and streamed through the Meeting Videos and available in the City on cable channel 190. For more information please contact Ex Officio, Mike Maas, 406.582.2321, or visit bozemanstudy.com. This meeting will be held both in-person and also using an online video conferencing system. You can join this meeting: Via Video Conference: Click the Register link, enter the required information, and click submit. Click Join Now to enter the meeting. Via Phone: This is for listening only if you cannot watch the stream, channel 190, or attend in- person United States Toll +1 669 900 9128 Access code: 951 6442 0347 This is the time to comment on any matter falling within the scope of the Bozeman Study Commission. There will also be time in conjunction with each agenda item for public comment relating to that item but you may only speak once per topic. Please note, the Study Commission cannot take action on any item which does not appear on the agenda. All persons addressing the Study Commission shall speak in a civil and courteous manner and members of the audience shall be respectful of others. Please state your name, and state whether you are a resident of the city or a property owner within the city in an audible tone of voice for the record and limit your 1 D. Consent Agenda D.1 Study Commission Claims Review and Approval(Heinen) E. Correspondence or Study Commission Update F. Unfinished Business F.1 Any Items Not Reached for Consideration on the May 27 Meeting G. New Business G.1 Provide Input on Tentative Report Draft 1 (Franks & Cestero) H. Future Agenda Items I. Public Comment on Anything within the Jurisdiction of the Study Commission J. Announcements K. Adjournment comments to three minutes. Written comments can be located in the Public Comment Repository. Reference Materials Study Commission Bylaws Study Commission Resources Study Commission meetings are open to all members of the public. If you have a disability that requires assistance, please contact the City of Bozeman's ADA Coordinator, David Arnado, at 406.582.3232. Study Commission meetings are televised live on cable channel 190 and streamed live on our Meeting Videos Page. 2 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission FROM:Caeleb Heinen, Recording Secretary Mike Maas, Ex Officio SUBJECT:Study Commission Claims Review and Approval MEETING DATE:May 28, 2026 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Finance RECOMMENDATION:TBD STRATEGIC PLAN:7.5. Funding and Delivery of City Services: Use equitable and sustainable sources of funding for appropriate City services, and deliver them in a lean and efficient manner. BACKGROUND:Study Commission claims for approval prior to payment by Ex Officio from the approved Study Commission Budget. Budget Tracking UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None ALTERNATIVES:The Study Commission could decide not to approve these claims or a portion of the claims presented. This alternative is not recommended as it may result in unbudgeted late fees assessed. FISCAL EFFECTS:$514.71 Attachments: Chronicle Display Ads.pdf Chronicle RFP Ad.pdf Report compiled on: May 26, 2026 3 BILLED ACCOUNT NAME AND ADDRESS Pub Description Units ADVERTISING INVOICE /STATEMENT Dates CITY OF BOZEMAN CITY HALL TAKAMI CLARK PO BOX 1230 BOZEMAN MT 59771 3/31/20261 BILLING PERIOD 3/1/2026 - 3/31/2026 BILLED ACCT# 75385 ADVERTISER/CLIENT NAME City of Bozeman City Hall TOTAL AMOUNT DUE $2,915.65 AMOUNT PAID ($487.45) TERMS OF PAYMENT Net 30 Days CURRENT NET AMT $1,970.75 60 DAYS $0.00 90+ DAYS $0.00 30 DAYS $944.90 Net AmountGross AmountAD# BILLING DATEPAGE #REMITTANCE ADDRESS PLEASE DETACH AND RETURN UPPER PORTION WITH YOUR REMITTANCE TYPE COMM PO Num INVOICE #032675385 PO Box 1190 2820 W College, 59718 Bozeman, MT 59771 C/O ISJ Payment Processing PO Box 1570 Big Sky Publishing Pocatello, ID 83204 Big Sky Publishing 406-582-2637 BALANCE FORWARD 1,432.35 Payment - Thank you -487.4503/06/26 722132 50.00 1,483.30BDC Know Your City Charter Ad 1,483.3003/04/26 BDC 708885 15.00 0.00BDC Added Value Know Your City 0.0003/14/26 BDC 723721 15.00 487.45BDC Know Your City Charter Ad 487.4503/18/26 BDC $2,915.65 TOTAL AMOUNT DUECURRENT AMT DUE $944.90 30 DAYS $0.00 60 DAYS $0.00 90+ DAYS ADVERTISER/CLIENT NAME City of Bozeman City Hall BILLING PERIOD 3/1/2026 - 3/31/2026 ADVERTISER/CLIENT NUMBER 75385 ADVERTISER INFORMATION $1,970.75 INVOICE AGING OF PAST DUE AMOUNTS *UNAPPLIED AMOUNT *UNAPPLIED AMOUNTS ARE INCLUDED IN NET AMOUNT DUE ADAM'S PUBLISHING RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHARGE A 1.5% PER MONTH LATE FEE ON ALL AMOUNTS NOT PAID IN FULL WITHIN 60 DAYS. NO ACTION OR OMISSION BY ADAM'S PUBLISHING COMPANY SHALL BE DEEMED A WAVIER OF ITS RIGHT TO CHARGE THIS FEE. $0.00 Invoice # 032675385 C/O ISJ Payment Processing, PO Box 1570, Pocatello, ID 83204 406-582-2637 4 AD# 725280 Discount: $0.00 Surcharge: $0.00 Credits: $0.00 We Appreciate Your Business! Gross:$80.00 Paid Amount:$0.00 Amount Due:$80.00 Payments: Date Method Card Type Last 4 Digits Check Amount PO Box 11902820 W College, 59718, Bozeman,MT 59771Ph. Fax: (907) 452-5054 ADVERTISING PROOF City of Bozeman_Mike Maas PO BOX 1230 BOZEMAN, MT 59771-1230 BILLING DATE: ACCOUNT NO: 03/12/26 27944 AD #DESCRIPTION START STOP TIMES AMOUNT 03/14/26 03/28/26 4 $80.00INSTRUCTIONS NOTICE 725280 INSTRUCTIONS NOTICE IS HEREBY giv-en that the City of Bozeman Study Commission (BSC) is seeking proposals from firms to engage in a Ballot Educa-tion campaign. The BSC will propose an Amended City Charter for approval by the voters in the November 3, 2026, election. The Amended Charter will be on the ballot to be Approved or Disapproved. In addition, there may be some (no more than three) Sub-Op-tions for voters’ approval or not. A significant educational process is needed, because the November 3 ballot will have federal and statewide is-sues and because the Charter Amendment with sub-options is inevitably confusing. Copies of the Request for Pro-posals are available on the City’s website. All proposals must be provid-ed as a single, searchable PDF document file and be submitted digitally as an email attachment to the City email address below. All propos-als must comply with level A and AA Success Criteria and Conformance Requirements as defined by current Web Content Accessibility Guide-lines (WCAG). Respondents are advised that City’s email attachment size limit is 25MB and that only one PDF file will be allowed per response. The subject line of the transmittal email shall clearly identify the RFP title, company name and due date/time. File sizes great-er than 25MB in size may be uploaded to the City Clerks’ Office upon special arrange-ment with the City Clerk. It is the Respondent’s sole re-sponsibility to ensure the file upload is completed, and that the City is separately notified via email of same, prior to the given deadline. Deliver RFPs via email to the City Clerk by Friday, April 3, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. MT. It is the sole responsibility of the Respondent to ensure that proposals are received prior to the closing time as late sub-mittals will not be considered. The email address for sub-mission is: procurement@bozemanmt.gov Any administrative questions regarding proposal procedures or relating to the RFP should be directed to: Mike Maas, City Clerk 406.582.2321, procure-ment@bozemanmt.gov. Respondents will be required to agree to the City’s non-dis-crimination and equal pay af-firmation, attached as Appen-dix A. DATED at Bozeman, Mon-tana, this March 12, 2026. Mike MaasCity ClerkCity of BozemanPub March 14, 28, 2206725280 MNAXLP 5 AD# 725280 INSTRUCTIONSNOTICE IS HEREBY giv-en that the City of Bozeman Study Commission (BSC) is seeking proposals from firms to engage in a Ballot Educa-tion campaign. The BSC will propose an Amended City Charter for approval by the voters in the November 3, 2026, election. The Amended Charter will be on the ballot to be Approved or Disapproved. In addition, there may be some (no more than three) Sub-Op-tions for voters’ approval or not. A significant educational process is needed, because the November 3 ballot will have federal and statewide is-sues and because the Charter Amendment with sub-options is inevitably confusing.Copies of the Request for Pro-posals are available on the City’s website.All proposals must be provid-ed as a single, searchable PDF document file and be submitted digitally as an email attachment to the City email address below. All propos-als must comply with level A and AA Success Criteria and Conformance Requirements as defined by current Web Content Accessibility Guide-lines (WCAG). Respondents are advised that City’s email attachment size limit is 25MB and that only one PDF file will be allowed per response. The subject line of the transmittal email shall clearly identify the RFP title, company name and due date/time. File sizes great-er than 25MB in size may be uploaded to the City Clerks’ Office upon special arrange-ment with the City Clerk. It is the Respondent’s sole re-sponsibility to ensure the file upload is completed, and that the City is separately notified via email of same, prior to the given deadline.Deliver RFPs via email to the City Clerk by Friday, April 3, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. MT. It is the sole responsibility of the Respondent to ensure that proposals are received prior to the closing time as late sub-mittals will not be considered.The email address for sub-mission is: procurement@bozemanmt.govAny administrative questions regarding proposal procedures or relating to the RFP should be directed to: Mike Maas, City Clerk 406.582.2321, procure-ment@bozemanmt.gov. Respondents will be required to agree to the City’s non-dis-crimination and equal pay af-firmation, attached as Appen-dix A. DATED at Bozeman, Mon-tana, this March 12, 2026. Mike MaasCity ClerkCity of BozemanPub March 14, 28, 2206725280 MNAXLP 6 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission SUBJECT:Any Items Not Reached for Consideration on the May 27 Meeting MEETING DATE:May 28, 2026 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission RECOMMENDATION:Discuss Any Items Not Reached for Consideration on the May 27 Meeting 7 Memorandum REPORT TO:Study Commission FROM:Caeleb Heinen, Recording Secretary Mike Maas, Ex Officio SUBJECT:Provide Input on Tentative Report Draft 1 MEETING DATE:May 28, 2026 AGENDA ITEM TYPE:Citizen Advisory Board/Commission RECOMMENDATION:Provide Input on Tentative Report Draft 1 STRATEGIC PLAN:1.2 Community Engagement: Broaden and deepen engagement of the community in city government, innovating methods for inviting input from the community and stakeholders. BACKGROUND:Per Montana Code Annotated, 2025: Final Report 7-3-187. Final report. (1) A study commission shall adopt a final report. If the study commission recommends an alteration of a local government, the final report must contain the following materials and documents, each signed by a majority of the study commission members: (a) those materials and documents required of a petition proposing an alteration of a local government in 7-3-142; (b) a certificate establishing the date of the election pursuant to 7-3-192 at which the alternative form of government or change in a plan of government is presented to the electors and a certificate establishing the form of the ballot question or questions; and (c) a certificate establishing the dates of the first primary and general elections for officers of a new government if the proposal is approved and establishing the effective date of the proposal if approved. (2) The final report must contain any minority report signed by members of the commission who do not support the majority proposal. (3) If the study commission is not recommending any changes, its final report must indicate that changes are not recommended. (4) The study commission shall file two copies of the final report with the department of administration, one of which the department shall forward to the state library. A copy of the final report must be certified by the study commission to the municipal or county records administrator within 30 days after the adoption of the final report. 8 (5) Sufficient copies of the final report must be prepared for public distribution. The final report must be available to the electors not later than 30 days prior to the election on the issue of adopting the alternative form or plan of government. Copies of the final report may be distributed to electors or residents of the local government or governments affected. (6) After submission of the final report, the commission shall deposit copies of its minutes and other records with the county clerk and recorder. Requirements For Petition 7-3-142. Requirements for petition. A petition proposing an alteration of a local government must contain: (1) a certificate containing the plan of government of the existing form of local government; (2) a certificate containing the plan of government of the proposed new form of government or amendments to the existing plan; (3) a certificate containing the plan of apportionment of commissioner districts if districts are contained in the plan of government; and (4) a comparison of the existing form of government and plan of government and proposed form of government and plan of government, including, if desired, a statement of the strengths and weaknesses of the existing and proposed forms and plans of government, information that supports the adoption of the proposed form and plan, and information that supports retention of the present form and plan. UNRESOLVED ISSUES:None identified ALTERNATIVES:Per the Study Commission FISCAL EFFECTS:TBD Attachments: Tentative report 2026 Local gov't study commission.docx Report compiled on: May 26, 2026 9 1 CITY OF BOZEMAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT STUDY COMMISSION 2024-2026 DRAFT REPORT June 18, 2026 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. LETTER TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF BOZEMAN 10 2 II. REPORT SUMMARY A. Findings of the Study Commission B. Key Provisions of the Amended Charter III. COMPARISON OF EXISTING AND PROPOSED AMENDMENTS A. Existing Charter - Description of General Characteristics B. Amended Charter - Description of General Characteristics C. Comparison of Specific Characteristics D. Recommendations and Reasons IV. APPENDIX Exhibit A: Certificate of Existing Form of Government Exhibit B: Certificate of the Amended Charter Exhibit C: Certificate containing the plan of apportionment of Commissioner wards/districts Exhibit D: Certificate Establishing the Date of the Election Exhibit E: Certificate Establishing the Official Ballot Exhibit F: Certificate Establishing the Effective Date of the Charter Exhibit G: Commentary on the Proposed Changes to the Charter Exhibit H: Recommendations from the Study Commission to the City Commission and staff 11 3 I. LETTER TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF BOZEMAN To the Residents of the City of Bozeman: The City of Bozeman Local Government Study Commission, elected by the voters on November 5, 2024, is honored to present this tentative report to you. The Montana Code Annotated directs the work of the study commission. As stated in MCA 7-3- 172, the purpose is to “study the existing form and powers of a local government and procedures for delivery of local government services and compare them with other forms available under the laws of the state”. This started by contracting Working Ventures, a Communication Strategist, and engaging the public with a comprehensive survey, two public hearings, multiple presentations, meetings with stakeholders, social media, paid advertisement and op-eds. Members of the study commission were also interviewed on the radio and the Bozeman Chronicle. In addition to learning from the public, the Montana State University Local Government Center was consulted to learn from other Montana communities as well as best-practice research. This was an effort to understand how city government works best in a community like Bozeman. There was concerted effort to consider how the City of Bozeman is growing and changing and what changes to the Charter could impact governance while also managing future growth. This report is brought to the residents of the City of Bozeman and reflects both public engagement and the study process. It includes the recommended government processes that will guide the present and future governmental services. During this process, it became clear that residents were not feeling heard or seen by the City of Bozeman government system. Therefore, you will find a new Article called “Public Engagement”. The changes you see within this document demonstrate a clear understanding that active, informed and inclusive engagement of community members, both individually and collectively, is an essential element of healthy civic life and a thriving local democracy. Due to the number of edits from the existing charter, this document provides you with a clean copy of the amended charter. For transparency, you can find a summary of all proposed edits on the city website. The question of adopting this amended charter will be placed on the ballot for November 3, 2026. We invite public engagement as we prepare for its adoption. Respectfully submitted, City of Bozeman Local Government Study Commission ____________________________ _____________________________ Carson Taylor, Chair Becky Franks, Vice Chair ____________________________ _____________________________ Deanna Campbell Barb Cestero ____________________________ Jan Strout 12 4 II. REPORT SUMMARY A. Findings of the Study Commission After this thorough course of study, while the form of government will stay the same, there are some key items that are being suggested to the voters that represent a change in the existing charter. It is important to read the entire 2026 draft Charter, but listed below are some highlights of the proposed amended charter: 1. The City of Bozeman is currently functioning well as a self-governing, charter form of government as it has done since 2006. 2. The city has been well served by the commission/manager form of government for decades because it places the day-to-day operations of the city in the hands of a professional, qualified manager. 3. The mayor plays an important leadership role for the residents of Bozeman, is a high-profile position in the community serving in a ceremonial capacity, chairing the commission meetings and often serves as a liaison between the elected body and the City Manager. In addition, the mayor also represents the interests of Bozeman across Montana and United States. The election of a mayor has been disrupted by the position of Deputy Mayor because it shortens the time of service for the position they were elected. 4. The public has clearly stated that they want more engagement and a seat at the table in city government. Therefore, Neighborhood Associations, the Inter-Neighborhood Council and City Boards are provided with increased opportunity, transparency and two-way communication with city government. There is an entire new section found in Article VIII. B. Key provisions of the proposal This is a high-level view of the changes in this Amended Charter that differ from the Existing Charter. It is also recommended that voters read the entire Amended Charter being brought before the voters in November 2026. 1. Self-governing form of government will stay the same with an amended Charter. 2. Commission/manager structure will stay in place. 3. Election of Mayor. The mayor will still be elected at large and will serve a 4-year term. There will no longer be a Deputy Mayor. The city commission will select a Vice Mayor each year to serve in the occasional absence of the mayor. 4. City Commission Vacancy. If there is a vacancy, there will now be a requirement to fill the vacant position within 60 days (instead of 30) and the City Commissioners must hold a public forum with potential applicants for the vacant commission or mayoral position. 5. Three Branches of Government. In the preamble is reinforced that there are three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. There is a new Article IV with general provisions of the Judicial Branch. 6. Article VIII Public Engagement has been added with additional clarity on the form and function of Neighborhood Associations, Inter-Neighborhood Council and City Boards. 7. Section 11.4 lists the schedule of implementation for some of the changes described in the Amended Charter. 13 5 8. There are several “recommendations” from the Study Commission to the City Commission and staff. These can be found in Exhibit H. C. Sub-Options that are presented As allowed by the MCA 7-3-151, the Study Commission will present 3 sub-options to allow the voters to decide the following on November 3, 2026. If these sub-options are passed by the majority of vote, they will only take effect if the Amended Charter is also passed by the voters. If the Amended Charter is rejected, then these sub-options also fail despite the number of votes received. 1. Sub-Option #1 will allow voters to decide whether to select City Commissioners by wards/districts or to continue to select them at large with no geographical requirement. 2. Sub-Option #2 will be based on Sub-Option #1: Should voter approve to have wards/districts, should voters get to elect all city commissioners through an at-large vote, or should the voters only vote for the 1 commissioner in their ward/district? 3. Sub-Option #3 will ask voters to decide if Bozeman should continue to have 5 commissioners or expand to 7 commissioners. III. COMPARISON OF EXISTING AND AMENDED CHARTER A. Existing Charter The City of Bozeman currently operates under the Municipal Commission-Manager form of government with self-government powers under Title 7, Chapter 3, Part 3 of the Montana Code Annotated, with an existing charter. B. Proposed Amended Charter The proposed amended charter continues with the city manager plan and self-government powers under Title 7, Chapter 3, Part 7 of the Montana Code Annotated. The charter has been amended in a manner that reflects the current form of government with some minor modifications that the Study Commission decided to enhance the operation of government and ensure that the City's business is conducted in a professional manner that is transparent and engages the public. C. Comparison of Specific Characteristics The chart on the following page compares characteristics of the existing form of city government with the proposed charter form of city government. Barb – add chart here D. Justification and Reasons for the Proposed Amendments There are several edits that have been considered and presented in the Amended Charter brought before the voters on November 3, 2026. All edits are listed as track changes shown in “worksheets” and provided on the website, www.bozemanstudy.com. Each edit has been carefully explored through public engagement, study of other community government systems and exploring best 14 6 practice for a government the size and scope of the City of Bozeman. Each recommendation attempts to address the following criteria:  How well does our form of local government serve our community?  Is the current form of government responsive and efficient in serving our community?  What are the most pressing issues our community faces and would changes to the power, form, or plan of government help address them?  Will the struggles and challenges your local government faces be improved by changing the power, form, or plan of government? Below is a clear explanation of the key suggested amendments to the existing charter that includes why each amendment is preferrable as well as some potential drawbacks that were taken into consideration. In addition, there are artifacts of research and public comment posted on the website at www.bozemanstudy.com 1. Powers of Government will stay the same. Self-governing powers of government will stay the same with an amended Charter. i. What: Self-governing powers define a local government’s authority to make decisions that are neither specifically allowed nor prohibited by the legislature including the authority to “provide any services or perform any functions not expressly prohibited by the Montana Constitution, state law or its charter” (7 1-101 through 7-1-103, MCA). Without self-governing powers, a Montana city or county government may provide only those services which have been authorized by state law. Self-governing powers are acquired either by adopting the Charter form, which automatically confers them, or by amending the existing Charter. ii. Why: In 1996, the Bozeman Study Commission asked voters to move from a general-governing to a self-governing form because they believed that “Adopting self - governing powers giving greater flexibility in shaping our governmental structure, more responsibility to recognize and deal with our own problems, and greater power to solve these problems.” In addition, they adopted a Charter that would guide the structure and function of the City of Bozeman. iii. Potential Downsides: This form of government has been working well since 1996 and provides the City of Bozeman a degree of autonomy to make local decisions that are best for the community. There was no discussion about making any changes to the powers of government. 2. Form of Government will stay the same. Commission/manager structure will stay the same with an amended Charter. i. What: The Commission-Manager form of government is characterized by a simpler organizational structure, the clearly defined responsibilities and powers of the hired professional manager, and by the sharply defined policy-making role of the elected commission. This form suffers less from the shared and blurred executive powers of the mayor in the Commission-Executive form. ii. Why: The full-time professional manager, a professionally trained administrator, is directly accountable to an elected commission. This accountability can bring a measure of competent internal management efficiency, fiscal stability, and more efficient municipal service delivery to local governmental operations. Greater efficiency can be achieved through single-point professional management. The difficult financial conditions and growing complexity of municipal government, 15 7 especially in Montana communities like Bozeman undergoing dramatic growth, necessitate investing in the management skills of a professionally trained manager. iii. Potential Downsides: The city manager must be properly supervised and evaluated to ensure they provide direction and leadership for the various departments of the city. There is language in the Amended Charter to help the city commission navigate this responsibility. There were some dissenting voices with concerns around the need for accountability because the city manager is hired and not elected, however the ability to require specific professional skills of an employee held priority. 3. Election of Mayor. The mayor will still be elected at large and will serve a 4-year term. i. What: Currently, the mayor is elected for a 4-year term but serves the first 2 years as the Deputy Mayor. With this amendment, there will no longer be a Deputy Mayor. In addition, the city commission will select a Vice Mayor each year to serve in the occasional short-term absence of the mayor. ii. Why: There was strong agreement to make this change. The public was confused by the fact they elected the mayor and then that person did not actually become the mayor for 2 years. In addition, the mayor is a significant leader in Montana and across the country and due to the short 2-year timespan, struggled to gain the leadership position that is required. iii. Potential Downsides: There were no downsides discovered. 4. City Commission Vacancy. If there is a permanent vacancy, there will now be a requirement to fill the vacant position within 60 days (instead of 30) and the City Commissioners must hold a public forum with potential applicants for the vacant commission or mayoral position. i. What: Historically, if a commissioner or mayor vacated their seat for any reason, the city commissioners were required to fill the vacant position within 30 days. In addition, this tight turnaround provided limitations to public engagement so this amendment to the existing charter would require the commissioners to hold a public form where applicants would present their thoughts and the public could provide comment on the potential applicants. ii. Why: There was much discussion around the desire to require a special election to fill vacancies versus the appointment by the City Commission. There were several limitations that are present in the Montana Code Annotated that made this difficult. Therefore, the study commission decided that for the time being we could at least expand the requirement for public engagement during the process. iii. Potential Downsides: Adding time for consideration as well as increased public engagement is a good thing all the way around. If a special election would be more desirable, it is suggested that people speak with their state representatives to make this possible through legislation. 5. Three Branches of Government. In the preamble is reinforced that there are three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. There is a new Article IV with general provisions of the Judicial Branch. i. What: In an effort to provide clarity, this is an expansion of language to help clarify the existence of the three distinct branches of government. ii. Why: This clarity had been omitted in the existing charter, and it was requested that this language be added going forward. iii. Potential Downsides: There are none identified. 16 8 6. Article VIII Public Engagement has been added with additional clarity on the form and function of Neighborhood Associations, Inter-Neighborhood Council and City Boards. i. What: The existing charter has sections on neighborhood associations and city boards, but more specific language and requirements were requested by the community members. Therefore, there is a new Article VIII dedicated to language that increases public engagement. ii. Why: There was very clear indication that residents had a sense of not being heard or engaged during decisions made by the city commission and wanted to enhance language for improved transparency and two-way dialogue. iii. Potential Downsides: There was considerable conversation to help balance the powers of both the neighborhood associations and city boards. On the one hand, it is important that a small segment of the community not have too much power, but on the other hand, each segment needs a valid seat at the table. These two considerations needed to be balanced out for the Amended Charter. 7. Other edits in the Amended Charter. E. Minority Report (if needed) F. Appendices Exhibit A: Certificate of Existing Form of Government and Charter Exhibit B: Certificate of the Amended Charter (put Amended Charter here) Exhibit C: Certificate containing the plan of apportionment of Commissioner wards/districts – do we need this??? Exhibit D: Certificate Establishing the Date of the Election The Amended Charter and Sub-Options proposed by the City of Bozeman Local Government Study Commission shall be submitted to the voters of Bozeman at a special election to be held in conjunction with the general election on November 3, 2026. We, the Study Commissioners of the City of Bozeman, do hereby certify that this is the date of the special election approved by the City of Bozeman Local Government Study Commission. In testimony whereof, we set our hands. Done at Bozeman, Montana this 8th day of August 2026. Respectfully submitted, City of Bozeman Local Government Study Commission. Carson Taylor, Chair 17 9 Deanna Campbell Barb Cestero Becky Franks, Vice Chair Jan Strout __________________________________________ Attest, City Clerk Mike Maas Exhibit E: Certificate Establishing the Official Ballot – which includes the sub-options and I can add this once we all approve it. I have written a draft. Exhibit F: Certificate Establishing the Effective Date of the Amended Charter and Sub- Options should they be approved by the voters of the City of Bozeman If the Amended Charter and Sub-Options proposed by the City of Bozeman Local Government Study Commission is approved by the voters at the November 3, 2026, the Amended Charter and approved Sub-Options shall become effective on July 1, 2027. We, the Study Commissioners of the City of Bozeman, do hereby certify that this is the date of the special election approved by the City of Bozeman Local Government Study Commission. In testimony whereof, we set our hands. Done at Bozeman, Montana this 8th day of August 2026. Respectfully submitted, City of Bozeman Local Government Study Commission. Carson Taylor, Chair Deanna Campbell Barb Cestero 18 10 Becky Franks, Vice Chair Jan Strout __________________________________________ Attest, City Clerk Mike Maas Exhibit G: Commentary on the Proposed Changes to the Charter - I have nothing to put here and feel this is duplicative. ??? Exhibit H: Recommendations from the Study Commission to the City Commissioners and Staff In addition to an Amended Charter, the Bozeman Study Commission has developed recommendations for the City Commissioners and staff to consider. These were developed through exploration with residents through survey and public engagement. The City of Bozeman are encouraged to adopt and implement these recommendations but are not required to do so. i. Recommendation: The City Commission should adopt a standard process and criteria for appointments to fill a Commission or Mayor vacancy. Reason: To increase transparency and consistency in decision making when appointments are made and reduce the perception that a commission appoints people who are allies or friends. ii. Recommendation: By resolution, the City of Bozeman should develop a document describing the roles, responsibilities, obligations and expectations for the Mayor and Commissioner position and that it be reviewed every 5 years. Reason: To ensure candidates and commissioners understand the commitment and duties of the elected office they seek. 19